Griffon's Rising: The Return of the Grey Wardens
by Raven Jadewolfe
Summary: Sequel to From Rebellious Noble to Warden Commander.It's been three years since the defeat of the archdemon, now it's up to Warden Commander Alexa Rose and her motley crew to restore the legendary Order's place in Ferelden ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**For those of you who are returning, I love you guys! For my new readers, please make sure to read From Rebellious Noble to Warden Commander first :-)**

**As usual, Bioware owns all things Dragon Age**

"You two wanted to do what?" I cannot believe the garbage that just came from the king's mouth, "You can't make me an arlessa Fergus, Grey Wardens aren't allowed to hold any titles, remember?"

Fergus massages his forehead like our father used to when dealing with a difficult bann, "Yes I did happen to remember something along those lines Lex, which is why you haven't had the damn thing dropped in your lap already! I've spent months busting my arse trying to find a solution to this, ever since Anora spontaneously decided to gift Vigil's Keep-and the surrounding arling-to the Wardens in the middle of the anniversary celebration."

"Why can't Lex stand in as a caretaker or something until you can appoint a new Arl to Amaranthine?" Alistair offers while struggling to free his foot from under Cheddar's slumbering bulk.

"That might work actually," my elder sibling's face lights up as he sits forward and begins rifling through a large stack of papers, "I could have the seneschal oversee most of the goings on, leaving only the really big things for you, and it would give Anora and I more time to find a suitable candidate. Once we have them narrowed down, we can send them up to you one at a time-to see how well they can handle the Wardens being so close-just try to send the ones you don't like back in one piece. Alistair, you are a genius."

"I wouldn't go that far," the former Templar mumbles though the corners of his lips curl upward at the king's declaration.

Fergus starts to say something else, but there is a light knock on his office door before it opens to reveal a servant who is leading in a striking young woman.

"Your Majesty, Commander, Captain, I apologize for the interruption," the knight bows to each of us before removing her helm, "But the emissary from Weisshaupt has arrived and wishes to speak with your or the Captain at your earliest convenience."

"Thank you Mhairi, please tell her that I will be down shortly," Alistair instructs, then leans over to kiss me as the Warden recruit snaps a salute and retreats from the room, "That girl reminds me of Cailan sometimes, with her head filled with fairy tales and dreams of glory."

"Mayhap, but we are not in a position where we can turn someone as talented as she away simply because they're overeager," I admit, peppering chaste kisses up his scarred cheek and over the black leather patch covering his right eye, "It's hard enough already, with Zevran trying to bed them all when they go up for their training at the Peak."

"Isn't that the truth," he agrees and pats his leg for Cheddar to follow, "Hopefully this glorified messenger won't keep me too late, I'll be very upset if I spend my last night here in damn meetings. I love you."

"As I you," I smile and steal one last kiss before he leaves me alone with my brother.

"He forgot that today is your birthday, didn't he?" Fergus pries once his brother-in-law is out of earshot, then shakes his head when I refuse to answer, "How could he forget your twentieth birthday Lex? You've been married nearly three years now! I swear he has forgotten every single one..."

"It's not completely his fault Fergus," I rush to defend my husband, "We were still recovering from our battle with the archdemon when my eighteenth came around, then last year he was in Weisshaupt while I helped Zev with his Crow problem in Antiva. Also, these past few months have been spent getting ready for the move to Vigil's Keep, so this one is technically your wife's fault. Why do you care Ferg? You know that it's just another sodding day to me."

"You are such a liar baby girl," he tries to sound annoyed, but his soft smile diffuses it as he hands me a package, "Happy Birthday."

Our muted disagreement forgotten, I slowly untie the ribbon and peel away the gold fabric to unveil a wooden box, a pair of stylized griffon's carved into its lid. Gingerly I pry the gift open and a familiar tune begins playing.

"I forced Leliana to write down the music to her song before she left for Orlais and had it custom made for you," Fergus elaborates over the music, "I recalled you telling me once that it was your favorite song. I had the two griffon's put on the top because, well..."

"Thank you Fergus, I love it," I tell him after moving around the desk and giving him a hug, "I will cherish this always."

Yet another knock interrupts our moment, reminding us that we still have our own duties to attend, so I bid him a good day before Havoc and I flee from the line of couriers and indignant nobles who are awaiting an audience with the king.

Hours later-after testing the ten recruits from Soldier's Peak who will be traveling to the Vigil for their Joining-I find myself alone in my rooms, listening to the music box's tune again and again as I wait for Alistair to arrive.

"This is where Zevran would come in handy," I tell no one in particular, then close the box with a sigh, "Or Leli...or Oghren...even Sten..."

But ever since the archdemon had been slain, the winds had slowly carried my adopted family away. Wynne and Shale had traveled to Tevinter for a time-before the senior enchanter had become a liaison for the crown-while Shale-now all dwarven and squishy once more-opted to go to Orzammar upon their return in order to learn how to be a breathing, living person once again. I never even had a chance to see her in her new body before she disappeared under the mountain.

Leliana, always the free spirit, elected to make her way back to her homeland after rumors of a mysterious black haired, golden eyed beauty in the court of Empress Celene found their way to Denerim. Oghren, though still in the city itself, caved to my brother's pleas after marrying Felsi and joined the army in order to train those patriots who had came to replenish the military's depleted numbers. Even Sten had finally returned to his people, leaving this past spring, after spending the winter writing a detailed report of the Blight and his time in Ferelden.

Then there was Zevran Arainai, assassin extraordinaire turned Grey Warden. My wayward elven brother that I had to send away for his own good.

After the Orlesian songbird flew the coop in search of the witch, my sneaky sibling had grown more and more restless until I practically forced him to take up a position training the Warden hopefuls up in Soldier's Peak. I honestly don't think I'd ever seen someone pack so fast in my life. I've only seen him twice since, both times at Joinings that failed and left eight people dead.

"Commander, you must come, there's been an accident!" I'm startled to awareness by Mischa's panicked shouting as she bursts into the room.

Without a thought, I reach for the dagger hidden under my pillow and pull it out as I spring to my feet, "What's happened?"

"The captain has been injured," she explains in a calmer tone after taking in my defensive posture, "He's in the infirmary now. According to the emissary from Weisshaupt, a crossbow misfired when he was showing it to her and the bolt lodged in his eye...the blind one!" she calls after me as I begin sprinting through the castle.

None of the other occupants I come across dare stop me as I careen through the doors and rush to Petra, the newly appointed court physician. "Where is my husband? I want to see him _now_."

"Fiona and Wynne are working on him as we speak," she assuages me in that soothing tone of hers and lays a hand on my trembling shoulder, "I was told to relay to you, when you arrived, that the emissary had the eye with her and they plan to implant it while they have the chance."

Some of the mind numbing fear recedes when the girl mentions Wynne, Fiona, and the false eye. Some of the reason the emissary was here to begin with was because while in Weisshaupt last year, Alistair had inquired about a magical eye that would give him the ability to see traps, glyphs, and wards if it could not give him full sight. It was the elven mage Fiona who had told him that she would personally oversee the research and would come to Denerim when she had anything useful to share.

"How long do you think this will take?" I finally ask her.

She blows out a weary sigh and shrugs her thin shoulders, "I truthfully do not know, since it is not a common injury, nor is replacing a damaged eye with a magical false one an ordinary procedure. What I can do though is have a cot made up for you so you can be right here when I get any new information. How does that sound?"

"That sounds like a damn good plan," I breathe a little easier now that I won't have to force the woman to let me keep close, "Could I perhaps get a cup of tea to go with that offer?"

"Of course you can," Petra smiles and moves off to have one of the servants fetch my drink while I sit down in the nearest chair and drop my head into my hands.

Not long afterwards, after downing two cups of tea, I find myself growing more and more drowsy.

"Damn you Wynne," I mumble, falling over as the sleeping draught finally wins out.

**Questions? Comments? You know what to do :-)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A big thank you to everyone that's read so far!**

**No ownage on my behalf.**

"Don't you worry girl, Alistair will be recovered and on his way to you by the week's end," Wynne reassures me the next morning as I kiss my sleeping husband's forehead, "He's more resilient than we all give him credit for. My guess is that he will be more upset that he wasn't there to help you than about being injured."

"I know Nonna. I wish I could stay and wait for him, but the Orlesian Wardens should have arrived at the Vigil last night, and I have recruits ready to undergo the Joining, but all of the materials were sent up there last week," I admit, then press the scarred side of my face to Alistair's once more before straightening to hug the elder mage, "Promise me that you will look after him. I'd have Gabrielle stay to send me regular updates, but she left for the Peak yesterday with a new batch of hopefuls."

She clasps my shoulders with her thin hands and levels her eyes with mine, "I swear to you that I will take care of Alistair Lex. Now go do your duty Commander, before they forget who is in charge."

I give her another hug and pat her shoulder after forcing myself to relinquish my hold on her, "When he wakes up, be sure to tell him that I love him and that I will anxiously await his arrival at the keep."

She reiterates her vow and I don't look back at my husband as I walk out, knowing that I would never be able to leave his side if I did.

"It is nearly an eight days ride to Vigil's Keep from here in Denerim," I announce to the group of men and women standing around me as we prepare to mount our horses, "We will make the trip in four. If you are not up to the task, bow out now. The king and queen will be more than welcome to accept any of you into the ranks of their army as proof that no ill will is to be borne towards you should you choose not to become a Grey Warden."

"How do we know if we can accomplish what you are asking of us?" a middle aged elven warrior—Jayden I think his name is-asks as he gets situated in his saddle.

"You make it to the keep alive," I reply and nudge my palomino warhorse into motion.

I wait until we clear the city gates to swivel around and see what kind of an effect my words have had on our numbers. Darrel, gone. Lynna, gone. Damn, they would have been excellent additions. The elven twins, vanished. No big loss, they were only here for the glory. Braxis is also absent. I really can't blame her though, she's only been married a month.

"Five of ten still here, not as bad as I thought it would be. Last time we did something like this with so many, we only ended up with two and neither of them survived," I murmur so that only Mischa and Gavin can hear.

"Maybe they were here for the wrong reasons then," Gavin suggests, eyeballing the gray smoke floating up from his long wooden pipe.

"I can't agree with that, not if I'm being honest. Jowan survived his Joining after we saved those jerks from making him Tranquil, and I only joined to avenge my family," I frown at the empty space my husband should be in, remembering those first days, then shake my head, "No, I think reason has little to do with who lives and who dies my friend."

"I don't mean to interrupt, but Lieutenant Zevran once told me that the key to longevity is your willingness to fight for your survival," Becca, a younger warrior from Gawren, chimes in.

I exchange an incredulous look with my fellow Wardens, then pointedly ignore the girl's statement because, in truth? None of them truly know anything of the ritual they will have to endure. Hell, most of them believe that they are going to have to single handedly win a one on one fight with a darkspawn in order to become a full fledged Warden. A tad on the crazy side, yes, but I was so proud of Alistair when he began circulating that fun little rumor.

We lose three more on the road. One to bandits and two others to their own fears. Jayden and Becca are the only ones who remain when Vigil's Keep finally comes into view.

"Commander, the castle in under attack!" Mhairi-who had been sent ahead of our group to alert the others of our arrival-comes screaming out of the morning fog.

"Mischa, Gavin, I want you to stay with the recruits-and all of you get your bows ready," I command after rolling off of my mount and drawing my blades, "Mhairi and I will go in first. Wait for our signal to enter."

What we end up finding inside the wall of the fortress can only be summed up as absolute devastation. According to one survivor we find, the darkspawn somehow found their way up from the dungeons and had poured onto the grounds while all but a few night guards were sleeping.

I scan the area and make a quick count of the dead darkspawn. Dozens of bodies are scattered on the grassy terrain. The ten Orlesian Wardens, who had come to help us rebuild the order, had been Wardens for a lesser time than either Alistair or myself-and didn't have even half our experience.

They hadn't stood a chance against such vast numbers.

Farther into the structure, we stumble into a room strewn with dead Templars and charred darkspawn...and a man with dark blonde hair and mages robes standing in the middle of them.

"Oh hells bells, what else can go wrong today?" he mutters to himself, then raises his hands in surrender as he turns to face us, "Erm, I didn't do it?"

"You killed all of these by yourself?" I inquire as I kick open a foot locker in search of a poultice for Mhairi's shoulder.

"The darkspawn I did," he confesses, looking more than a little confused, "I tried to save those Chantry boobs that brought me here, but Biff and Templar Bob over there hit me with a smite right before a genlock turned Bob into mincemeat, then Biff made the funniest gurgle when he went down a second later."

"I'm Lex, this is Mhairi, we're Grey Wardens," I press what I assume to be his gear into his hands and point to the door we'd just entered through, "There are four other Wardens waiting outside the keep's main gate. Make sure to announce yourself when you find them, and they will keep you safe."

"Right, well thanks," he nods and touches the other woman's shoulder to heal it before disappearing out the door.

"How do we know he wasn't a maleficar?" the young knight with me questions after testing the strength of her mended limb and we resume our search for survivors, "The Templars wouldn't have locked him up for no reason."

"We don't," I glance at her for a moment before unlocking the next door and silently easing it open, "But it's not our place to judge someone for how they choose to live their life. It's our job to make sure they have the chance to choose to begin with."

Sufficiently chastised, the young warrior takes her place on my left flank as we slink down the blood splattered corridor.

"Commander, Mhairi, you finally made it," a thickly accented voice mumbles a few minutes-and a handful of darkspawn-later.

"Roland!" Mhairi wails and rushes to the man who is propped up against the wall, seated in a pool of his own blood.

Distant memories of my father try to manifest, but I wrestle them back as I kneel next to him and smile, "Lying around on the job again Ro? I thought we'd already had a talk about that."

"Blame it on this damn hangover I've got," he chuckles softly, then pats his young lover's head as she weeps against his shoulder, "They took the other Wardens Lex. Didn't kill them outright like they normally do. I don't know what's going on but I think I know why I was left behind."

I silently nod my agreement when he weakly waves a hand at the horrific wound splitting his abdomen, "How much longer Roland?"

"Minutes, I'd wager. If that."

I straighten out of my crouch after kissing his cheek, "It has been an honor and a privilege Ser Warden. I will leave you two to say your good byes."

"I love you Alexa Rose, and have since the day we met," he confesses what I'd been well aware of for over a year as I walk away, "Alistair is a lucky man to have earned your affections."

"Thank you," I whisper and move around the corner in order to give the lover's the semblance of privacy.

While I'm waiting, the eerie stillness is broken by a man's voice on the other side of the door I'm stand across from. "Oh no, don't come over here, the big bad darkspawn are going to eat me!"

I throw the door wide in time to see a laughing dwarven man on the far side of the chamber toss something over the railing, then am blown off my feet when that something explodes.

"What did you just blow up?" Mhairi runs up, her face streaked with tears but still has her sword and shield at the ready.

"I didn't, some crazy dwarf did," I admit, my ears still ringing from the blast. I clamor to my feet and look for the dwarf, but he is nowhere to be found, then point out a barricaded stairwell leading down, "From what I can tell, that's our only way to get across unless we jump the rail."

She pokes her head through the splintered remnants of a door, then points a finger upward, "There's a set of stairs here, I think they lead to the battlements. Maybe we could skirt over them to get to the other side of the castle?"

I weigh my options for a moment, then wave her on, "The battlements will be faster, I think."

The two of us make our way to the defensive wall at the top of the fortress and find ourselves in the pouring rain. "At least we don't have to worry about fire," I snicker to myself, then laugh aloud when the young woman looks at me like I've lost what little mind I had left.

It takes some time, but we eventually stomp our way to the far side of the Vigil and descend back into the building. And into yet another group of darkspawn. By the time we dispose of the latest batch and I pause to catch my bearings, Starfang and Duncan's sword are once again blackened with toxic ichor.

"There you are!" a gruff voice booms, making Mhairi jump in surprise, "I told these sodding bronto humpers that they'd get piled up faster than all get out when the Commander of the Grey showed herself, and here you are, just like I said! Hey, where's the little pike twirler of yours hidin' at? Aren't his lips usually firmly stuck to one of your arsecheeks?"

"He's still in Denerim, you scabby twat. That mage he talked to in Weisshaupt finally showed up with his new eye," I explain, collapsing onto the steps at his feet before stealing the flask tied to his belt and taking a long pull, "Why are you here Oggie?"

"He was here two weeks ago, when I brought a message here from Soldier's Peak," Mhairi grimaces at her ruined helm, then tosses it over her shoulder before continuing, "I can't believe Roland let him stay."

"Eh, I remember you, yer the recruit with the nice rack! Lookin' at those perky things makes me wanna get some milk right from the source," the ornery dwarf chortles as I hand his flask back, "I thought I'd come and visit the only rogue berserker known in Ferelden...and maybe stick around to see what's so sodding special about all this Warden stuff."

"Felsi would kill me if I put you through the Joining!" I yell, then tilt my head back to glower at my old friend, "Felsi threw you out again, didn't she? What did you do to piss her off this time?"

"Nothing! She just said that she thought bein' a Grey Warden would be sexy, so here I am," he defends and reaches a hand out to help me back to my feet, "Where's the giant cup you got fer this? I'll gargle and spit right now."

"You're not allowed to spit it out," I vainly try to stifle a laugh at Mhairi's horrified expression, "And it will have to wait until after we clean out the darkspawn."

"I guess we can't afford to turn anyone away in these hard times," the young knight behind me comments to herself as we get back to work.

_If she only knew how right she was..._

**Ah Oghren, always good for a laugh...and molesting the nearby females when Zev is busy lol**


	3. Chapter 3

**I still own nothing!**

"I told you the sodding thing talked!" Oghren bellows as I help the man we'd just saved to his feet.

"I wasn't arguing with you Oggie," I blow out a weary sigh and shift my attention to the unfamiliar warrior, "And who might you be Ser?"

"My apologies Commander, I am Varel, your new seneschal," he declares while performing a low bow, "I was sent to oversee the goings on of the arling for you until a new arl can be appointed."

"Lovely," I sarcastically respond, then start towards the stairwell. Once down in the ravaged courtyard, I look to Mhairi, "Tell Gavin that he and Becca will be in charge of clean up. You, Mischa, and Jayden will be aiding the wounded. I want to wash the blood off of my face, then I'll start looking into shoring up our defenses."

"Yes Ser," the woman salutes and darts off, the clang of armor echoing after her.

"You know, the courtyard looks quite lovely, in a macabre sort of way, " the blonde mage from earlier banters a few minutes later as he saunters up to the water barrel I'd been using to wash the worst of the gore off, "It's like walking through a park, except with darkspawn decorations! You really have to give me the name of your decorator."

"Why are you still here?" I bat a few soggy strands of crimson out of my eyes and leer at the mage, "I thought that, with no Templars around to keep you occupied, this place would have already been a distant memory for you."

"What can I say?" he dips his red stained hands into the bucket I'd just finished with and begins scrubbing them, "After not chopping me into pieces when you found me, it would have been bad manners to up and leave like that. Of course, that might be why the Templars keep finding me. Anders, you are just too nice sometimes..."

"Yes well, you are more than welcome to stay the night," I offer, handing him the pseudo clean bit of cloth I had used to dry my face with, "It'll smell like darkspawn for a while yet, but there will be a roof over your head that isn't a tower or a jail cell."

"Are you always this trusting with strange mages?" his tone is humorous, but his chocolate eyes betray true inquisitiveness.

I call on my magic negating powers, then laugh as astonishment takes over his expression, "Don't worry Anders, I've learned to take care of myself over the years."

His eyes never move from my hands as the blue glow dissipates, "What about the lyrium addiction?"

"What lyrium addiction? You can't grow dependent on something you don't use," I qualify as I walk over to the steps and sit before motioning for him to join me, "Another Grey Warden-one trained as a Templar-discovered shortly after he joined the Grey that he could still use his powers without ingesting the nasty stuff. We've since come to the conclusion that the Chantry uses lyrium to keep the Templars in line."

"So your not a big fan of the Chantry, I'm guessing?" he queries as he lowers himself onto the step below mine.

I shrug a shoulder and observe the progress of the clean up for a few minutes before answering, "The Chantry showed its true colors to us after we killed the archdemon. Sent a sodding missive explaining what we were going to say and how we were going to say it. Evidently they're not too keen on the masses learning the real reason we have Blights. Anyways, after reading the letter, I laughed in the face of the Sister who delivered it, then told her to inform the Revered Mother that she could kiss my arse. My brother was a bit vexed with me for that."

"I like you already Commander," he snickers, then grows serious, "So you know the truth about the Blights?"

"They originally started when a couple of Tevinter mages decided to play god and corrupted seven ancient dragons while they slept. The darkspawn were a side effect of those rituals. They are the ones who found the first archdemon and woke it up. I'm sorry to say that it's been a vicious cycle ever since."

At my words, he looks like his eyes are going to pop out of their sockets, "Are you telling me that dragons are archdemons?"

"Not all dragons," I hastily explain, trying to soothe his rising panic, "Just the original seven. And since we just killed the fifth a few years ago, there are only two left."

I watch him as he watches his hands, "How do you know all of this?"

"Because the Grey Wardens used to be a faction of the Tevinter army," I deadpan and rise back onto my aching feet, "I have to get back to work now and I'd appreciate your help. I really don't have any money to pay you at the moment, but like I said before, you're welcome to-"

"I'll be glad to stay Commander," he cuts in, miming my movements to stand before me, "Besides, who better to protect me from the religious fanatics than the legendary Commander of the Grey?"

"Welcome aboard then Ser," I pat his shoulder, then whistle for the black mabari who is digging yet another hole to who knows where, "Havoc, come help me clean up this mess and there'll be a juicy bone with your name on it later!"

The shadowy war hound yips excitedly and proceeds to bounce in circles around us as we make our way across the grounds.

Later that night, those left with no rooms lounge about in the main hall, eating, talking, or resting on the cots Varel had the servants erect. I sit near the fire-away from the others-pondering how my husband is fairing under Wynne's matronly watch and if the procedure had been a success or not. With one hand absently stroking the ring hanging from its chain and the other rubbing my four legged best friend's proffered belly, it is through sheer experience that I manage to hide my shock when a steaming mug is suddenly shoved in my face.

"Share a drink with me Commander?" Anders queries, and presses the mug into my hands before I can protest, then drops to the rug beside me while I gape at him, "I hate drinking alone, even if it's just tea."

"You know that you don't have to call me that, I'm not in charge of you," I tell him after taking a sip of the soothing brew.

"What, Commander? I don't see why I should be the exception to the rule here," he reclines back on his elbows and gazes at the flames dancing in the hearth, "I do it out of respect, not obligation. And since I usually loathe people in positions of power on principle, you should count yourself lucky."

"Oh, and modest as well? My brother would love you," I smirk, knowing how much fun Zevran could have with this man.

"Really? What is he, some kind of ax wielding bard who has a soft spot for apostates?" his voice is already beginning to sound drowsy as the events of the day begin to take their toll on the man.

"Not really," I admit, squirming around to lay my head on the canine's belly, "He's more of a 'bed anything that moves then brag to me about it later' type. If you stick around for a few weeks, I imagine that you will get to meet him."

"I don't know, sounds a bit stabby for my taste," he surmises sleepily-his head dropping to the floor-then is quiet until a soft snore escapes.

I finish my tea in silence, then rouse Havoc so I can check up on the others, who are largely asleep or close to it. "Looks like we're on duty first," I surmise while pulling my cloak on and the mabari answers with a snort as we pad out into the damp night.

The hours go by relatively peacefully, until I'm standing on the eastern battlements staring out into the loch.

"Commander, we've caught an intruder," the seneschal's educated tone is out of place amongst the serenity all around me.

My thoughts veer off course, towards my elven brother, and I rush passed Varel, down the escarpment, and in the direction of the jail after the elder man yells it to me.

Captain Garavel greets me with a somber visage as I enter, "We found him slinking about where the others we sleeping. It seems that he was looking for someone specific, but refuses to tell us who."

"Of course I was looking for someone, you witless waste of space," a vaguely recognizable voice growls from the cell at the back of the room, "I was looking for that murderous bitch, and you brought her right to me, how thoughtful."

I lean around the soldier to see a tall man with shoulder length brown hair and a venous expression that is partially hidden behind a smear of blood and a large bruise that is starting to form on the left side of his forehead.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Lexie Cousland, all grown up. How does it feel, knowing that you destroyed my life?"

**;-) yeah, I know I'm evil.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ever have one of those days that you wished you had a bomb shelter under your house just so you could hide from your insane family? Yeah, that's me today lol**

**As always, no ownage by me.**

"Nate-Nathaniel?" A flash of half buried pain rushes to the surface as I slowly pad my way over to the man, "Is that really you?"

"And who else should it be, little Lexie?" he sneers, his expression predatory despite the bars his hands are presently curled around, "You are in what used to by _my_ home after all."

"You know this wretch?" Garavel asks, looking more confused than Alistair after we'd gotten him drunk for the first time.

"Nathaniel was my brother's best friend before he left for the Free Marches six years ago," I inform the guardsman with a sigh, the peer back into those hateful brown eyes, "Your father told everyone that you were dead six months after you were squired to that knight. He had even shown Thomas a lette-"

"You lie! Every damn words that spews from your mouth is a damned lie!" Nathaniel roars, his head shaking back and forth defiantly.

"Thomas is living in Denerim Nate, I could have him come, it would only take a week..." I try to persuade him, but between his grief and the blow to the head he'd taken during his capture, he is beyond reason for the time being.

"Let him stay in here for the night. It looks like it's been a while since his last meal, so have one of the servants bring him something to eat," I instruct after turning away from the grieving former nobleman, "When Mischa comes in to look him over, make sure there is enough warm water and such for him to clean up. Perhaps a change of clothes as well, if we can spare it. And for Maker's sake, bring the man a chamber pot, one of the cots Varel had brought out, and a clean blanket to sleep with. We're Grey Wardens, not animals."

Gavin meets me in the courtyard after I exit the building, grinning like a madman, "You should have seen it, I got him lassoed around the ankles and yanked him clean off his feet! You'd have laughed your arse off, the way he kicked and yelled when I dragged him out of the castle and into the jail like that."

I focus on the intricate blue knot work etched on his face, running temple to temple, in order to calm myself before speaking, "Gavin, as ridiculously awesome as that sounds, no more rope tricks that treat prisoners like steer."

"Why not? That's how we did it where I came from," he pouts while we slip back into the main hall, "Except we usually hung them upside down from a tree afterwards, then cut their bellies open so that the blood would draw scavengers."

I freeze mid-step and gape at the ranger, "Gavin, that's horrible!"

He gives me an odd look in return. "How is that any different than your supposed civilized ways of hanging one by the neck in public so people can throw rotten food at them or chopping someone's head off while a crowd cheers? At least our ways make one useful even in death. I swear, for all that you've been through ardmheas deirfiúr, you can be quite naïve about the ways of the world."

"I...you're right," I concede to the man's strange logic, then continue walking "All I really know how to do anymore is fight, so I am naïve about some things...but I don't make someone needlessly suffer, and refuse to let other people do it either. Now I'm heading to bed, please have someone wake me in a few hours."

Only his eyes betray his annoyance at my words as he bobs his head, "Can do. When did you want to proceed with the Joining?"

"In the morning," I reply before shambling over to one of the unused cots and falling into it face first, armor and all.

"In War, victory. In Peace, vigilance. In Death, sacrifice. These words you already know, but what I say next has been spoken since the first Joining," I declare, lifting the ancient silver chalice and closing my eyes, "Oh Brothers and Sisters, join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant."

"Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn," Mischa adds her melodic alto.

"And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten," Gavin's light accent chimes in now, "And that one day..."

"We shall join you," I conclude alone, then open my eyes and turn to my dwarven friend, "Oghren, step forward. Drink and know that from this day forward, you are a Grey Warden."

The flame haired berserker grasps the cup reverently, then takes a large drink. "Not bad," he belches, then falls back, his eyes white as snow.

Mischa immediately scurries over and checks his pulse as I hold my breath. "He'll live to badger us another day Commander," she finally proclaims with a tiny smile playing at her lips.

Keeping my face a blank mask, I nod in acknowledgment before looking to Becca, "Come forward and drink Warden Becca, join the ranks of your Brothers and Sisters."

The young woman hesitantly follows my command and she too is left unconscious but breathing on the stone floor. My hopes soar when Jayden is similarly lucky.

_Just one more. Four new Wardens would be such a boon._ "Mhairi, drink and know that you are a Grey Warden from this day forth."

"I've waited my entire life for this moment," she murmurs before imbibing the foul ichor.

A single heartbeat passes, then the young knight screams and begins clawing at her throat. Her unseeing ghost white eyes dart around wildly as she chokes, but I know she has failed the test when she coughs a bloody spray across the stone floor and falls over.

Gavin bends down and checks to be sure, then closes her eyes as I am reminded of Daveth's painful death. I take in a shuddering breath and retrieve what was to be Mhairi's Warden cloak, then take care not to disturb the body when I cover it with the mantle.

"Three out of four, a new record," Mischa lets out a dark chuckle while moving onto the task of filling the trio of pendants for the new Wardens.

"Three is better than zero," I grudgingly admit, watching Gavin heft the knight's body into his arms, then carry her outside to the pyre we'd built beforehand, "But four would have been ideal. Would you mind watching them for a bit? I have to send a message to Zev and Ali, telling them how things went."

The plump mage waves me off, already scratching down the names of both the survivors and the fallen before distributing the jewelry, "Yeah, yeah, just get out of my hair."

I've just released the second falcon when I hear the tapping of Havoc's nails on the floor. I crouch down as he comes into range and scratch his broad chest before plucking the note from his collar and reading it. "So Oghren and Jayden are already awake. Damn that was fast," I comment to the canine, who answers by slathering his tongue up the side of my face.

Eventually we navigate our way back through the fortress, pausing to be harangued by the stonemason until I march to my office and empty my safe-an entire eighty sovereigns mind you-into his hands, before making it down to the newest members of the order.

"-have dreams?" Becca is quizzing Mischa as I enter.

"Good, everyone is awake," I fold myself down onto the floor in front of their cots, "There are some very important things that you need to know now..."

It takes nearly an hour after explaining everything to answer their barrage of questions. Becca sheds a few tears when she learns that she may never be a mother, but seems strangely unruffled by our shortened lifespans. Jayden also cares little about that subject, but worries about any side effects of the taint they may have to endure. Oghren simply farts loudly and asks when will they get to start killing things.

"What will happen to Mhairi's remains?" Jayden queries after I tell them of the woman's death.

"All Grey Wardens who die on the surface are cremated," I carefully elaborate, not wanting to upset them again, "We discovered a mausoleum at Warden's Keep during the reconstruction. Her ashes will be interred there, and her name will be added to the others on it."

"What about her family?" Becca prods, her coffee black eyes mournful.

"Her family will be told that she fell honorably in service to the Grey Wardens, as will yours, should you not live to see your Callling."

Suddenly the main doors are thrown wide and Varel comes running in, "Sorry Commander, but the king is here, with an entire battalion under his banner!"

_Alistair_ is the only thing I can think of as I leap to my feet and race outside.

Fergus is dressed in his dragonbone plate, the emblem of Ferelden emblazoned on his deep red mantle, and he looks almost frightened when he spots me running towards him. "Commander, what in Andraste's shield happened here? Your parties usually don't end in this much...destruction."

"The darkspawn somehow found a weak spot in the dungeons and attacked the keep just before we arrived," I quickly explain, scanning the soldiers behind him for a swath of long golden hair, "What brings you to the Vigil so soon? Have you decided that fighting the horde was more fun than holding court?"

"You and I both know that killing darkspawn really is easier," he gives me lopsided smirk before blowing out a heavy sigh, "There's been a bit of trouble out on the bannorn that I need to go sort out before it gets out of hand. I got word of it the day you left. Oh, and I also had something of yours that I needed to return..."

I give him a perplexed look, waiting for the punchline, only to be snatched up by a pair of massive arms and swung about like a rag doll. Reason soon escapes me though as a set of warm, plump lips meet mine and I allow my husband to kiss me senseless in front of who knows how many onlookers.

"'Bout time you showed yerself around here, the Commander was startin' to git all moody," Oghren banters, killing our euphoric bubble as he stomps up to shake hands with my beloved.

"Yeah yeah, just wait until she decides to have Mischa launch your drunken arse out of one of those catapults I saw up on the wall," Alistair fires back with a chuckle, "You know how she loves her-"

"Your highness, that man is a dangerous maleficar!" a woman with a face only a mabari could love, shrieks, "He killed half a dozen Templars in his last attempt to escape!"

"I wouldn't go that far," my overprotective spouse instantly defends our friend, though his hand never leaves mine as he shifts around to peer at her, "I mean, the dwarf's a bit of an ass and all but-"

"She means me," Anders groans, no doubt having come to see what all the fuss was about, "But I didn't kill those Templ...oh, what's the use, a damned fanatic like you would never believe me anyways."

"You'll hang for this..." the woman begins but Fergus reaches out a hand to still her, "Commander, the accused is in your custody, so you have the right to deal with this any way you see fit. What say you?"

"There isn't much to be said honestly," I state, then resist the urge to cut the Templar's lips off when I see the smug look taking over her features, "Nothing actually, except that I invoke the Right of Conscription on the man known as Anders."

"What? You can't do that!" the woman explodes and begins reaching for her sword until she has seven Grey Wardens pointing their own weapons at her.

"We are in the home of the Grey Wardens Rylock," Fergus warns her in his most neutral tone, "It was the Commander's place to pass the judgment, which I accepted. Tell your men to stay their weapons."

She orders the handful of Templars to stand down, then gives me a venomous glare, "The Revered Mother will hear of this."

"Tell her the Grey Wardens send their warmest regards," I salute her with Starfang before sheathing it and returning my attention to my brother, "Will you be staying the night highness?"

He sighs and aims a dark look towards the religious nut before shaking his head, "I can't, not after the stunt you just pulled. If I appear to show you any favoritism while I'm here, the Chantry would have the country caught up in another civil war before I made it back to the capitol."

"I understand. My apologies then your Majesty," I give him my best smile to compensate for the twinge of pain the little girl inside of me feels at being chided by her big brother, "But I must speak with you in private before you go."

"Of course," he responds, then chuckles as he spins on his heel to face the lone guard who was brave enough to follow us, "In case you don't know who this woman is, she is the Commander of the Grey Wardens, Hero of Ferelden, and my baby sister. If she truly wanted to kill me, I highly doubt there is a damn thing you could do about it, so although I appreciate the gesture, it is not needed presently. You are dismissed Ser."

The guard opens and shuts his mouth a few times, then bows and stomps off, grumbling under his breath. Fergus waits for the man to be out of sight before bringing his head close to mine, "What do you need pup?"

"Nathaniel Howe is currently sitting in my jail, insane with grief," I blurt out, unable to sugarcoat things when the person in question once meant so much to him, "I don't want to take his life Ferg, but I can't let him loose like this. He's a danger to himself end everyone around him."

"Are you sure it's Nate Lex?" my brother's features twist into a mask of confusion and loss, "His own family said that he fell in the Free Marches."

"Obviously it's not true," I shrug, not knowing what else to say, "But he's a little stabbity, kill kill right now and refuses to hear the whole story about what happened. Also, Varel said that I may have to execute him for the assassination attempt."

"Couldn't you make him a Grey Warden like you just did for that mage?" he unexpectedly inquires, his tone growing hopeful as he looks at me, "That would prevent his death and give Thomas enough time to be ready to take over the Arling before winter sets in. When Thomas comes up, he can explain everything to Nathaniel."

"You chose Thomas to be Arl? Will the people even accept another Howe in charge after what his father did?" I challenge, more than a little shocked at the news, "This could blow up in all our faces if we're wrong."

"Thomas fought openly against his father's twisted plans, even ended up disowned for his efforts," Fergus cajoles, trying to win me over, "He wants to correct the wrongs that Rendon made and Nate can help do that if he is a Grey Warden."

"And what if Nathaniel chooses death? Have you considered that? Would you really have me force your former best friend into the order?"

He takes my hands in his, his eyes imploring, "I cannot order you to do this Lex, but I am begging you-as your brother-don't kill him because he was misinformed and wants to avenge his family. I don't want someone else to die because of Rendon Howe's treachery."

"I will talk to him about it," I give in and pointedly ignore my sibling's triumphant smirk, "but not for a few days at least. Nate sustained a nasty concussion when Gavin captured him and I want to give him time to fully recover."

"Great! Now let's get you back to your other half," the king chuckles in a brighter tone, then grabs my arm and pulls me after him, "Because if I have to hear one more thing about you, cheese, or those little runestones you collected for him, I swear that I'm going to strangle him and I'd hate for him to make Anora a widow for a second time."

**Translation Time!**

**ardmheas deirfiúr **-**means revered sister in Irish Gaelic. I thought it would be a great language to use for the Chaisnd's native tongue.**

**Come on, I brought Ali back asap, I think I deserve a cookie and/or a review :-)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Blame my hubby and little brother on the delay, they've got me hooked on an online game called Jade Dynasty.**

**I still don't own.**

"I was going to send the dogs to come look for you soon," Alistair grins after Fergus and I hug then part ways, "Although Gavin did use to opportunity to catch me up on everything that I've missed, so that's one less thing that you have to do now."

"Oh yes, you missed all the fun. Darkspawn invading the keep, annoying nobles all wanting personal protection-or wanting to use us to kill their only child-while others are already conspiring to kill me," I snort while finally using the moment of peace to assess his false eye, "Alistair, is that thing modeled after a bird's eye?"

"A griffon's eye, actually," he replies a bit defensively while his fingers trace the eyebrow above the organ in question, "I thought it was fitting-using a griffon's eye-with being a Grey Warden and all. The color of the pupil matches mine though, because the gold eyes that the books said they had reminded me of she-who-shall-remain-nameless a bit too much."

"Her eyes were more orange than gold," I counter just as one of the king's men calls for the army to march, "Though Zev's eyes turn a dark gold color when he's had too much to drink."

He scans the courtyard, then looks at me with a curious expression written on his features, "Speaking of our bird brained brother, I must say that I'm kind of disappointed he hasn't popped out of some dark corner and scared the pants off of me yet."

"You haven't heard from him either then, I take it?" I give him a sidelong glance, then try to continue, but a laugh comes out instead when Cheddar comes barreling out of nowhere and tackles Havoc just as we reach the entrance to the castle.

"Well, it seems that you two are not the only lovers who have been reunited today," Mischa quips cheerily as she saunters by, "Anders wishes to speak with you when you have a minute Commander."

"I bet he's regretting his choice to stay and lend a helping hand now," I murmur to my husband before turning and waving to the apostate, "Anders, inside please, if you would?"

The pale haired man tears his eyes from the retreating army and gives me a cocky salute, "Aye-aye Commander! Right away!"

"Cheeky little bastard, isn't he?" Alistair chortles in a low voice as we make our way to my sparsely furnished office and try to avoid knocking over the boxes that contain our belongings in the process.

"He reminds me of you a little actually, back when we first met," I retort with an impish grin and wind my hands around his neck, "Except he's all sparkly and magic flinging rather than insanely strong and obsessed with cheese."

"You're making fun of me again," he pouts, but gives me a kiss nevertheless, "Am I going to have to start getting all jealous and possessive when the pretty boy with the earring is in the vicinity?"

"He's cute and all Ali, but I prefer my men with scars and tattoos rather than robes and a general ability to sparkle," I purr, my hands trailing up his left arm, which had been etched with a black dragon nearly two years ago, "I would be too afraid that they'd break while I rode them, and that is something I have no worries about when I ride you."

The former Templar growls, then grabs my hips and roughly pulls me to him, "You are the mos-"

"As wonderful of a show that I'm almost positive you two would give, I'm doing my good deed for the day and warning you that you have an audience," Anders declares from the doorway, his arms and ankles crossed lazily as he smirks at us, "But honestly, there's no need for you to stop on my account."

I wriggle out of my husband's grasp and motion for the mage to take a seat after I remove a couple of small crates from it, "We don't do public shows anymore. People start requesting strange positions, become infatuated, then want you to come to their place for private parties...it's really more of a hassle than it's worth."

Anders starts to say something else, but Alistair puts a hand on the other man's shoulder and shakes his head in warning, "I wouldn't even try, were I you. Her best friend was raised in an Antivan whorehouse and she verbally spars with a dwarven berserker on a regular basis, so you really stand no chance of winning."

The mage shifts his gaze over to me as I drop into my chair and I answer his unspoken question with a shrug and a smile before directing the conversation back towards less humorous territory, "Anders, before we go any further, I want you to know that I will not force you to become a Grey Warden. If the Blight was still hanging over our heads, I'd do it without a second thought, but we're not and I won't use the Right of Conscription as long as I have another way to do things."

"What would you tell the Templars goons if they came back here looking for me?" his posture seems to curl inward despite the defiant timbre in his voice, "Surely they wouldn't believe that I escaped again, not with your reputation."

"We could tell them that you didn't survive the Joining," my husband proclaims in a matter-of-fact tone, "But to make this believable, you would have to leave Ferelden and never return. You're not the first runaway mage we've done something like this for, and I'm certain that you will not be the last."

"None of this explains why you would do this, you barely even know me," the apostate counters, disbelieving that the idea came from one trained to hunt his kind, "I highly doubt that I'm worth the Grey Wardens risking further ire from the Chantry."

"Because I believe that everyone has the right to be free to make their own choices," I deadpan, to which my fellow Warden nods in agreement, "Why don't you take the day to think about all of this? We can talk again tomorrow morning."

"Really? Not many people would be so adamant about freedom, especially when it concerns mages," he immediately retaliates, then his expression turns thoughtful, "Would the Templars be able to do anything to me if I was a member of the Grey Wardens? Would I have to go back to the Tower and check in or anything like that?"

"No and no," I give him an encouraging smile, which he returns, "The only people you would really have to answer to is the First Warden in Weisshaupt or the Commander of the Grey here in Ferelden."

"Wow, not being made Tranquil...or executed. This is insane, but still sounding better and better, the more I think about it," Anders chuckles, then bobs his head, "Alright, I'll do it. Make me a Grey Warden Commander."

"We can have things ready in an hour," I qualify, while grasping his hand and shaking it, "Though I wouldn't suggest eating anything beforehand."

"Wow, me, a Grey Warden?" he mumbles to himself as he rises and makes his way to the door, "I think I like the sound of that."

"Dress comfortably, you might be spending some time on the floor," Alistair calls out to the man-who gives him a perplexed look-before closing the door and resting his head against it, "Hopefully that will be the least of his worries."

"And ours," I add, feeling a sting at the memory of losing Mhairi. _Was that only this morning?_ "I have to gather more ingredients from the vault, are you coming?"

"I will never make you do this alone, not if I can help it," he takes my hand and kisses the palm before we begin our solemn journey, retrieving the chalice from Mischa along the way. Once inside the vault, we silently begin mixing the concoction that will either give produce a new Grey Warden-or another corpse.

"Are we going to explain the dangers to him?" my fellow Warden inquires as we lock the vault and begin navigating our way back to the main hall, "I know we're not supposed to, but he is kind of a special case."

"If I know Mischa, she's already found a way to make him understand," I admit, pausing as he opens the big doors for me since my hands are currently busy trying not to drop the ostentatious silver goblet, "She's very protective of all the Warden mages."

"Not any more than you, but then again, you're protective of all the Wardens in Ferelden," he gently taunts, but falls quiet as we spot the others standing in a semi circle around a now very nervous looking Anders.

I take a deep breath to steady myself before peering at the man, "Has Mischa explained everything?" He nods. "Any questions?" A shake of the head. "Good. Now we will speak the words that have been passed down at each Joining since the first."

My husband's velvet tenor rings out in the stone hall as he begins, with the rest of us soon accompanying him, but all fall away for the last words, which I speak alone once again. To his credit, Anders does not hesitate to take the cup when I offer it, nor does he panic when he realizes the he will be imbibing blood. I get I simply get a raised eyebrow and a grimace aimed in my direction before he drinks. I get a bit worried when he makes no sound, other than a gasp, then collapses, but keep my expression blank. Since it is my turn, I kneel beside his prone form and put two fingers against his pulse point.

_Thump thump._

"He's alive."

"Finally, I'm not the only mage at the Vigil!" Mischa crows as she hurls herself into her husband's arms and gives him an enthusiastic kiss.

"Ali, Jayden, could you carry our new brother over to one of the cots please? I need to fill his pendant before he wakes up," I pull the piece of symbolic jewelry out of its pouch and get to work-all the while thanking the Maker, Andraste, the Creators, and my ancestors that I didn't lose another one today.

That night-after passing on the Warden secrets and the pendant to Anders-Alistair and I lay tangled in the blankets, glistening with sweat and curled around one another so tightly that it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.

"Four new Wardens in one day, you must be pleased, my Commander," my beloved surmises as the calloused tips of his fingers trail over the Dalish script inked onto my right shoulder.

I shift around so that I can look at him while continuing to rest my head on his chest, "I am. Though it's kind of crazy, since I told Mischa this morning that three was better than zero, but four would have been ideal. It's like something stepped in and put Anders in my path."

"Maybe all the time we spend saving the world is finally paying off," he snickers, then hefts me up his torso and kisses me, "But I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not done with you yet," he growls, then coerces a gasp out of me as our bodies become one again.

**Yay! Anders if finally a Warden!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry to say this guys and gals, but with all the big holiday stuff exploding around me, it's going to take longer to get chapters out for a while.**

**Please point out any glaring spelling mistakes, I was really tired when I typed this out.**

**I don't own so don't bother suing.**

"What does he expect us to do about it?" I ask the young private after she's relayed a message concerning a second nobleman's daughter supposedly being kidnapped.

"His herald said specifically that Lord Bensley doesn't not have access to the amount of gold the abductor has demanded nor does he possess the sufficient manpower to rescue her on his own," the woman answers in a voice that is still quivering minutely, "He expressed a hope that the Grey Wardens might come to his aid."

"So he had deep enough pockets to send a perfumed herald, but not enough to save his own child?" I shake my head in disgust, "What is wrong with these people?"

"Think about what this could do for relations between the Grey Wardens and the nobles Commander," Varel presses, unable to fully suppress his horror at my show of apathy.

"Just because people inherit asinine titles, it does not mean they are also inherently noble," I argue while internally cringing at the thought of having to play nice with another gaggle of idiots, "Actions make a person noble, not some proclamation or accident of birth. If we agree do help this Bensley, it will be because of his daughter, not the greedy jackass who is too busy to save his own flesh and blood."

"Now there's the hard ass Commander we all know and love," Oghren snickers as he drops down onto the bottom step of the dais with a clang, "So when are we runnin' off the save the lass?"

"Wells, according to the letter, Bensley's scouts believe that the bandits are camped less than a half a day's ride from here, so we could leave in a few hours," I ponder aloud, formulating a plan as I go, "If we get lucky enough to find their campsite, we could scope it out after dark and move in on them in the morning while they're still groggy."

"Who will you be leaving in charge during your absence Commander?" Varel asks as he warily eyes the dwarf who is currently picking crumbs out of his beard and eating them.

"Alistair will be in charge while I'm gone," I assuage the harried seneschal, "He wants to be here for the groundbreaking for the kennels and I'm not going to make him turn around and leave again after spending a lone night here. Are you up for some mayhem though Oggie?"

"Always girl, you know that," he cackles then lets out a raunchy smelling belch before continuing, "Maybe we ought to take the new magic slinger with us, see how he does in a pinch?"

I nod my affirmation, "I was going to bring him, and Gavin as well because we need a good tracker," a loud bark in protest echoes through the hall, "Well, we need a second tracker to pick up on anything the first one misses."

"I'll keep the Captain in line while you're gone,"Mischa chimes in, startling Varel when she and Gavin materialize out of a shadowy corner, "Did you know that the catapults are fully functional here?"

Remembering a stunt she pulled back at Warden's Keep, I give her a pointed look, "No getting drunk and launching my husband out of random siege engines and into nearby ponds Mischa, promise me."

"I swear that I will not launch _your_ husband out of any catapults," the witch vows with a perfectly blank expression that she only wears when she's trying too hard to look innocent.

"Gods help us all," I mumble before having everyone pull out maps of the area so we can refine our plan of attack.

The next few hours are spend memorizing the local terrain and landmarks, then working out the most likely places we may find the kidnappers hiding at. Alistair-while not happy at being separated again so soon after our reunion-accepts my decision when I bring up the kennels and the need to let his eye heal for a bit longer before returning to combat.

Anders, now clad in a set of soft leathers instead of his ragged robes, seems excited to be doing something besides running from Templars or cleaning the ransacked keep. Becca and Jayden throw the occasional envious look at his back as we make our preparations, but openly laugh once the mage remembers that the trip will include sleeping on the hard ground for at least two nights and begins begging to bring a tent.

"Sorry Anders, but we must be light and fast, so unless you can do both with an extra twenty pounds of gear, it stays behind," I inform the mage, who tries to make me give in by aiming his best wounded puppy face at me.

"It won't work," Oghren snorts while tossing Anders his now fully stocked pack, "Her old man has been trying that for years and she's yet to cave."

"But I'm so cute and lovable," he jokingly responds, falling into step behind us as we walk out to the stables, "No one can resist me."

"If the archdemon couldn't charm her, I highly doubt you could," Alistair laughingly retorts as he appears, leading my warhorse out behind him, "But if you wish to keep entertaining us, by all means continue."

"Yes, that's me, entertainer to the legends of Ferelden," Anders banters after expertly mounting his steed, "Maybe I should start doing shows rather than this whole fighting thing. I could sell tickets and make a mint, then retire someplace with a warm girl and an idiot I could shoot lightning bolts at whenever I get bored."

My husband chortles in amusement despite himself then kisses me as he hands over the reins, "If he gives you any trouble at all, just drain his mana and stab him a few times to remind him of his place in the pecking order. I love you."

"I love you too, but I'm not draining him or stabbing him unless he does something incredibly stupid," I trail my fingers across his ruined cheek, "Nor will you be doing it, especially if there is a crossbow in the vicinity."

"Hheeyy, it attacked me," the former Templar whines as I climb atop my mount, "Be careful my love, I'd hate to have to destroy the countryside searching for you."

"I'll do my best Ali," I vow to my overprotective spouse, then gesture for my other companions to follow after I nudge my horse into a lazy trot.

About two hours into our new mission, Anders directs his chestnut gelding up beside me, "You know, you never told me that you were with someone-that night we talked by the fire-I was just curious as to why."

The inquiry throws me for a loop and it takes me a minute to reply, "Umm, I really didn't think about it, mainly because half of Ferelden already knows about Ali and I being together."

"What about the other half?"

"Oh, they know I'm with Alistair, but believe some conspiracy theory that I'm having a torrid affair with Zevran," I snicker, recalling a few noblewomen who pleaded and begged me to regale them with tales of my erotic adventures.

One side of his mouth twitches impishly, "Are you?"

I can't help but gasp at the mage, "What? No! Why would I ever jump into bed with my own brother when I have a perfectly good husband waiting for me at home?"

"Well you never know with some pe-wait," I can see the color visibly drain from his ruddy cheeks, "You're married?"

I drop my head into my free hand and shake it in exasperation as Oghren bursts into laughter behind us, "What's wrong Sparklefingers, was yeh hoping to grease the old sword with the Commander or was yeh aiming for the pike twirler?"

In lieu of an answer, the man slows his horse until he is at the back of our group. When I'm certain that I'm not going to laugh, I give the dwarf a sidelong look, "Why do you have to be so mean all the time Oggie?"

"Yeah Oggie, why are you so mean to me?" Anders echoes.

The berserker twists around in the saddle the best he can in his plate armor, "Don't sodding call me that again or I'll snap ye in two boy."

"B-but she just called you that," he splutters in return, "And you smiled at her!"

"That's cuz we've bled together and she's family. Yer just the little nug trying to hump her leg," Oghren huffs, then dismisses the mage by turning back to look at me, "Where do you keep findin' these weirdos Commander?"

"I'm a magnet for crazy people. You're living proof of that," I fire back while trying to ignore the shaking of Gavin's shoulders as they tremble with silent laughter.

"Yeah, because you're such a pillar of sanity yourself," the Chaisnd ranger deadpans after composing himself enough to speak, "It's because of you that I originally thought that being mentally unstable was a prerequisite to become a Grey Warden."

"I lead a faction of an order that hunts darkspawn for a living, did you truthfully expect me to be anywhere near normal?" I counter with a laugh as mirth takes over once again.

Our fun is brought to a screeching halt though when my insides fill with a sick buzzing sensation.

"Darkspawn!" Gavin and I shout simultaneously as we jump from our mounts and draw weapons.

"We're about ready to start the real fun Nancy," Oghren smirks at Anders as he pulls his wicked looking double bladed axe off of his back.

The newest Warden mage frowns down at the dwarf, but any retort is forgotten as I point out a group of genlocks cresting a hill to our south. Seeing them, Oghren belts out his war cry and charges right into the fray while Gavin slinks around to the right of the mob, then begins mowing the creatures down.

"Stay behind me," I instruct Anders while picking off a few stragglers that had come our way. Through the chaos I can see Havoc darting in and out of the group on their left flank, all claws and teeth as he happily shreds them apart piece by piece.

It only takes a few minutes to exterminate the creatures and-after stacking the bodies-Anders sets them alight before we resume our journey.,

Once the sun starts slipping behind the hills, we find a place to set camp for the night. It's while I'm setting traps around the perimeter that my mabari growls and leaps into the underbrush, causing an unseen woman to scream in pain and fright.

Gavin and I race after the canine with swords drawn, and find a young woman in leathers currently flat on her back with Havoc's teeth hovering over the exposed flesh of her throat.

"Who are you and why are you trying to sneak around our camp?" I growl in a tone menacing enough to make the girl squeak.

"M-my name is Eileen Bensley, well it used to be, until a few days ago," she answers, her gaze traveling back and forth between Gavin, Havoc, and myself, "My father sent you , didn't he?"


	7. Chapter 7

**I still don't own so don't bother suing :-P**

"Mosley is actually his surname," Eileen corrects over her clay mug, her eyes focused on the dancing flames of the campfire, "And he is not a snake. Lysander is a good man who used to lead an honest life, that is until my father ruined him..."

The young noblewoman goes on to reveal that her father-Edgar Bensley- was a staunch supporter of Rendon Howe while Lysander Mosley-a common born man who inherited his illegitimate father's estate upon his death-hated everything the former Arl stood for. Bensley had also coveted Mosley's holdings, so when Howe had reached the pinnacle of his power, Bensley had made use of his connection to the madman. Lysander was stripped of all he owned and banished, forced to leave Eileen behind in order to spare both their lives.

"Eventually Lysander ended up on a ship called the Siren's Call-trying to save enough money for us to escape my father for good-but all of that changed when the captain informed the crew that she would be leaving Ferelden behind for a time," the girl confesses, trails of wetness beginning to fall down her cheeks, "So my beloved collected his earnings and made his way back to Amaranthine. Back to me."

"So your father made up the whole damn story about your husband just so we would help him," I deduce, then huff in irritation when Bensley's true goal makes itself known, "Your father had hoped that we would kill first and ask questions later, thus giving you someone to blame besides him. Why do people keep thinking Grey Wardens are stupid?"

"Look at who you're married to," Gavin glibly retorts with a smirk, then gets to his feet and pulls his cloak tighter around his body, "I'm hitting the hay, wake me for second watch."

"Aren't you at least going to wait and see what the Commander decides?" Anders calls after the ranger as he slinks off.

"She's going to let the girl go and tell her father that the bandits trail went cold at the coast," the Chaisnd man replies over his shoulder before crawling into the lone tent in the encampment and closing the flap.

The mage stares at the shelter with a bewildered expression for a moment, then shifts around to peer at me. "Well?"

"That sounded good to me," I shrug a shoulder as I curl around Havoc's prone form, his paws poking up into the night air, "Tell Gavin to wake me for third watch."

"But who's on first?"

"You," the group-sans Eileen- fires back.

Hours later I am woken by a hand on my arm and a low growl being emitted from my mabari. I glance up to see Gavin gazing into the darkness, "I think our wayward guest has a visitor and he's as loud as the dwarf."

I stroke the annoyed war hound's muscular back just as a young man emerges from the black, his hands raised in supplication, "Please, I mean no harm, I just wanted to collect my wife. Just let us go and all of us can go our separate ways with no losses on either side."

"You're heading towards the Frostbacks, right?" I ask as I sit up and stretch the weariness out of my muscles while he creeps over to his bride and rouses her.

The young man catches on to my line of thinkng and smiles," Oh yes, after we leave here, we'll sail to Redcliffe if we can't find passage to Jader. From there we will make our way through the mountains and out of Ferelden. I've heard there are parts of Orlais ripe for farming nearly all year round, maybe we'll settle there to raise our family."

I take the information in stride but tuck it away for later, "Stay away from the Free Marches, there have been reports of unrest coming out of that region."

Thank you Ser Commander," Eileen beams while her spouse winds his cloak around her, "The Grey Wardens will always have friends in us, for what it's worth."

"We're just doing what is right," I automatically respond, then shake their hands before they meld back into the night.

"It's nearly time for your watch, mind if I turn in?" Gavin pipes up after making a show of yawning.

I roll my eyes and pull the hood of my mantle of my dew damped hair, "This, coming from the man with the tent? I should have kicked your sorry arse out of it and slept in there myself."

"It's not my fault you couldn't carry the extra weight," he smirks evilly, then disappears into his tent just as a rocks is lobbed in his direction.

The conversation on the ride back is nearly as silly as the day before, with the added amusement of Oghren calling Anders a different female name every time he get a chance. Byt the time we enter the gates of the Vigil late that evening, I'm almost positive that the mage is going to roast the berserker as soon as he can get the dwarf away from any witnesses.

Mischa, always the night owl, is the one to greet us after we get the horses situated in the stables, "Well Commander, that was fast."

I tug my helm off and run a hand through my damn locks, "Long story short, she wasn't kidnapped, she got married. Bensley was a lackey of Howe's but Mosley was not. The happy couple is now on their way to a new life, the end. Now if you would kindly point me towards a free room where I can lay down and die for a little while, I'd be eternally grateful."

"Follow me," she says without hesitation, causing five sets of shuffling footsteps to echo after her as she leads the way to the second level.

Slowly the others are directed to their rooms, leaving just me when she points to a room at the end of the hall. I slip inside the chambers and am immediately met with two furry muzzles forcing their way into my hands. I give Cheddar and Havoc a loving pat before stripping my gear off as quietly as possible then literally crawling into the massive bed. Even unconscious, my husband seems to recognize my presence and he pulls me into his strong arms as I rest my head in the crook of his neck and threat my fingers through his golden waves that are sprawled across the pillow. Then blackness consumes all.

I feel Alistair's lips dance across the back of my neck, his teeth occasionally grazing the sensitive flesh as the tip of his arousal finds my entrance and slips in to the hilt. I reflexively lean into his touch as calloused fingers travel down my body to find the cluster of nerves hidden between the apex of my thighs. Gasp after gasp rattles out of my throat as his digits and hips move with a slow, torturous rhythm. Not a word is exchanged between us as we move together, and over an hour later soft whimpers are the only sounds that echo through the space when we finally find release.

Afterwards, my beloved holds me tight, his light, feathery kisses telling me how much I've been missed, as the dark room slowly brightens with the rising sun. Our bubble is gently dispersed finally when he cups my ravaged cheek and murmurs an 'I love you' against my lips and I return the sentiment just as softly. His kisses begin moving southward once again, never increasing in urgency or speed-

_Knock-knock._

**Short I know, but that's where it wanted to end.**


	8. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME

**~The Following is a Memo from the International Epic Fail Writers Association~**

**Hey all, I am groveling before you to admit that I've busted my nose on the big fucking wall of writer's block one too many times on this story and am setting it aside for the time being.**

**But all is not lost...I hope *gulp ***

**Another story came to me while following the advice of a fellow author and am currently 14 chapters into writing a tale that has an original origin character as its heroine. If any of you are willing to forgive me for my epic failness and would like to see me post the new story, drop me a line and maybe a few kind words to let me know that I'm not going to be drawn and quartered.**

**I'm going to go hide in my cave now and wait for the carrier pigeons (or lightning bolts) to arrive.**

**~Raven**


	9. Note for New Story

**Okay, I've posted the first three chapters of the new story, which is called Elgaren Dar Dorf: Ghosts of the Grey. **

**I'd love it if you hopped on over to check it out :-)**

**Raven**


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